Freedom and Morality

I have a background in philosophy which, in real world speak, means trying to decide how we define right and wrong. I have spent many hours examining different theories and trying to decide what makes an action moral. Recently, I have been reading a book that defends capitalism. It argues that, regardless of the intentions of the heartless capitalists, it is what is best for society. It also defines the free market as an absence of moral principles. In other words, this author concludes that we must not be bound by morality, but by freedom. In this way, we fulfill the best interests of society.

I am deeply disturbed by the author’s assumption that freedom and morality are on opposite sides of the spectrum. You see, after years of examining different criteria for determining moral action, I came up with my own. Individual liberty IS a moral issue.

I explained to a good friend of mine that I believe that when a policy decision seeks to increase freedom, it is moral. When it seeks to take it away, it is immoral. This friend replied, “Well can’t you say that you want it to increase freedom unless that freedom hurts other people?” After some thought, the answer came to me: No. Think about all the great tyrants of history. They never came out and said, “I am a bad guy. I want to hurt people.” Their rhetoric was, “I am trying to improve society, to protect the weak from the strong, to protect individuals from their own bad choices.” Tyranny seeks to restrict individual liberty in the name of “protecting other people.”

Freedom of choice does not mean freedom from consequences, but that is a subject of another discussion. What it means is that we must allow people to choose for themselves and to live with the choices they make. Think about it this way. God does not compel us. So many people think that religion takes away freedom; it does not, unless it is enforced by a theocracy. Even then, the lack of liberty comes, not from God, but from men. Religion teaches us principles. When we choose to obey those principles, we find that we have more freedom. So, if we are taught to avoid drugs, and obey that teaching, we never become a slave to substance abuse and are free to choose again. What God does not do is strike us dead if we choose incorrectly. He allows the natural consequences of our actions to follow.

What I really want to say here is that the idea that freedom is a lack of morality is insane. Freedom is a lack of compulsion. Compulsion is the ultimate tool of Satan. Freedom is the first gift our Heavenly Father gave us. Let’s be careful not to let our choices destroy it.